Winter Animals

xpression,strugglingforlightandtobedogsoutrightandrunfreelyinthestreetsforifwetaketheagesintoouraccount,maytherenotbeacivilizationgoingonamongbrutesaswellasmen?Theyseemedtometoberudimental,burrowingmen,stillstandingontheirdefence,awaitingtheirtransformation.Sometimesonecameneartomywindow,attractedbymylight,barkedavulpinecurseatme,andthenretreated. Usuallytheredsquirrel(SciurusHudsonius)wakedmeinthedawn,coursingovertheroofandupanddownthesidesofthehouse,asifsentoutofthewoodsforthispurpose.InthecourseofthewinterIthrewouthalfabushelofearsofsweet-corn,whichhadnotgotripe,ontothesnowcrustbymydoor,andwasamusedbywatchingthemotionsofthevariousanimalswhichwerebaitedbyit.Inthetwilightandthenighttherabbitscameregularlyandmadeaheartymeal.Alldaylongtheredsquirrelscameandwent,andaffordedmemuchentertainmentbytheirman?uvres.Onewouldapproachatfirstwarilythroughtheshrub-oaks,runningoverthesnowcrustbyfitsandstartslikealeafblownbythewind,nowafewpacesthisway,withwonderfulspeedandwasteofenergy,makinginconceivablehastewithhis“trotters,”asifitwereforawager,andnowasmanypacesthatway,butnevergettingonmorethanhalfarodatatimeandthensuddenlypausingwithaludicrousexpressionandagratuitoussomerset,asifalltheeyesintheuniversewerefixedonhim,—forallthemotionsofasquirrel,eveninthemostsolitaryrecessesoftheforest,implyspectatorsasmuchasthoseofadancinggirl,—wastingmoretimeindelayandcircumspectionthanwouldhavesufficedtowalkthewholedistance,—Ineversawonewalk,—andthensuddenly,beforeyoucouldsayJackRobinson,hewouldbeinthetopofayoungpitch-pine,windinguphisclockandchidingallimaginaryspectators,soliloquizingandtalkingtoalltheuniverseatthesametime,—fornoreasonthatIcouldeverdetect,orhehimselfwasawareof,Isuspect.Atlengthhewouldreachthecorn,andselectingasuitableear,friskaboutinthesameuncertaintrigonometricalwaytothetop-moststickofmywood-pile,beforemywindow,wherehelookedmeintheface,andtheresitforhours,supplyinghimselfwithanewearfromtimetotime,nibblingatfirstvoraciouslyandthrowingthehalf-nakedcobsabouttillatlengthhegrewmoredaintystillandplayedwithhisfood,tastingonlytheinsideofthekernel,andtheear,whichwasheldbalancedoverthestickbyonepaw,slippedfromhiscarelessgraspandfelltotheground,whenhewouldlookoveratitwithaludicrousexpressionofuncertainty,asifsuspectingthatithadlife,withamindnotmadeupwhethertogetitagain,oranewone,orbeoffnowthinkingofcorn,thenlisteningtohearwhatwasinthewind.Sothelittleimpudentfellowwouldwastemanyanearinaforenoontillatlast,seizingsomelongerandplumperone,considerablybiggerthanhimself,andskilfullybalancingit,hewouldsetoutwithittothewoods,likeatigerwithabuffalo,bythesamezig-zagcourseandfrequentpauses,scratchingalongwithitasifitweretooheavyforhimandfallingallthewhile,makingitsfalladiagonalbetweenaperpendicularandhorizontal,beingdeterminedtoputitthroughatanyrate—asingularlyfrivolousandwhimsicalfellow—andsohewouldgetoffwithittowherehelived,perhapscarryittothetopofapinetreefortyorfiftyrodsdistant,andIwouldafterwardsfindthecobsstrewnaboutthewoodsinvariousdirections. Atlengththejaysarrive,whosediscordantscreamswereheardlongbefore,astheywerewarilymakingtheirapproachaneighthofamileoff,andinastealthyandsneakingmannertheyflitfromtreetotree,nearerandnearer,andpickupthekernelswhichthesquirrelshavedropped.Then,sitting